This was my first attempt at a vegetable soup aside from my usual – Cabbage Soup and Borsht, and…. prognosis positive! This soup came out absolutely magnificent. It’s super tasty, hearty, filling, and loaded with nutrients, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. It even passed the Lenny test – he had 3 bowls! This is a great addition to any whole foods diet and is now a part of my repertoire.

What you’ll need

1/2 Organic Butternut Squash – cut into cubes
4 Organic Tomatoes -quartered
1 Small Sweet Onion – quartered
4-5 Cloves of Garlic – I realized I was out of fresh garlic as I started making the soup, so I used chopped garlic I had in the fridge. I used about 4 Tbs
2 Carrots – peeled and cubed
4 Cups of Kale -chopped
1 can of Organic Red Kidney Beans – rinsed and drained
2 Bay Leaves
1 1/2 Tsp Oregano
Salt/Pepper to taste
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
8 Cups of Free Range Chicken Broth (or Vegetable Broth for Vegetarian/Vegan folks)
Roasting Pan
Soup Pot
Blender

Directions

Preheat Oven to 400 degrees. Arrange the Squash, Tomatoes, Onions, Carrots, and Garlic on a roasting pan (I used aluminum foil on top of the pan, but if you don’t have it, use non-stick spray before placing the vegetables), sprinkle with salt/pepper and EV Olive Oil. Roast for 30-35 minutes or until the carrots and squash are tender.

Once they are done, take the tomatoes, onions, and garlic, place them in a blender with 1/2 cup of Chicken Stock and blend until all the ingredients are combined. I like little bits of garlic in my broth, so I just pulsate 6 or 7 times. Once you have a nice roasted vegetable broth, just add it to the rest of the Chicken Stock, add a Bay Leaf, and cook on Medium High heat until it begins to boil. Add Oregano, Squash, Carrots, Kale, salt to taste and cook on medium heat until the Kale has softened – about 30 minutes. Finally, add Red Kidney beans and simmer for a few minutes more. I suspect you may need more salt. And you’re done! Pour in a bowl, crack some fresh black pepper, and serve.

Enjoy!